Emiliano García-Page highlights the leadership of the Spanish tourism sector worldwide and calls for greater internal harmonization
Madrid, April 11, 2025.- The President of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, has emphasized the leading position that Spain holds in the global tourism sector. The regional head of government participated this morning in Madrid, alongside the President of the Junta de Andalucía, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, in the breakfast series ‘The industry of happiness’ organized by Grupo Hotusa under the title ‘Tourism as a development engine: strategies and challenges for the future of the autonomous communities’.
«Tourism is clearly a productive industry and increasingly an economic development engine,» García-Page stated, also explaining that «in Castilla-La Mancha we do not have beaches, but we have a lot of land and sun, and for now, we are using it to produce photovoltaic energy.»
In an interesting debate between the Andalusian and Castilian-Manchego presidents, the latter pointed out that foreign tourists, especially those from more distant origins, tend to choose monumental, cultural, or heritage tourism references. «Contrary to sun and beach, tourists coming from afar do not visit Spain for its beaches,» he argued.
Tourism, an industry that cannot be relocated
In this sense, he explained that the tourism sector is growing in Castilla-La Mancha «at a very good pace, reasonably and under an industry that cannot be relocated, as tourism now knows no seasons.» He also explained that the government he presides over has «a very clear strategy» that conceives tourism «in its economic, social, and cultural dimension.» For the President of Castilla-La Mancha, tourism in Spain is very relevant, to the point that he considers the minister of this portfolio «should be one of the most important in the country.»
Emiliano García-Page has pointed out that tourism «has a democratizing effect because it distributes both effort and benefit.» In fact, he is convinced that it directly benefits the «self-esteem» of Spanish society and the spread of the language. «If we are a tourist power, it is because we have something to offer,» he pointed out.
Expanding on the situation of the tourism sector in Spain, García-Page laments a lack of greater harmony and reference unity among the different autonomous communities. «Spain performs very well at the international tourism level, but I believe we are not leveraging that potential well at the territorial level,» he argued.
«We have a much better prepared, competitive, and quality tourism sector than most of those around us. I’m talking about hotels, gastronomy, restaurants, and even about the active subjects of tourism, who are the Spaniards themselves. We let ourselves be loved,» summarized the President of Castilla-La Mancha at the end of his intervention, also considering that «traveling is possibly what contributes most to peace.»
The Minister of Health, Jesús Fernández Sanz, and the Spokesperson, Esther Padilla, accompanied the regional head of government at this meeting held at a central hotel in Madrid.